The Nashik police on Tuesday detained a man in connection with the investigation into alleged question paper leak during the NEET UG 2026 examination held on May 3.
"A request from Rajasthan Police was received this morning for taking an individual into custody in connection with the NEET examination paper leak issue. Accordingly, Nashik police Crime Branch Unit 2 has nabbed a person," said Deputy Commissioner of Police Kirankumar Chauhan.
A team of Rajasthan Police would arrive in the city to take his custody, he added.
The National Testing Agency (NTA) on Tuesday cancelled the NEET UG 2026 examination, taking note of alleged irregularities and question paper leak in Rajasthan.
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has registered an FIR in the case after the Union Government earlier in the day referred the matter to the agency for a comprehensive inquiry into the allegations.
In a statement on X, the National Testing Agency (NTA) said the decision was taken in the interest of maintaining transparency and preserving trust in the national examination system.
"On the basis of inputs subsequently examined by NTA in coordination with central agencies, and the investigative findings shared by the law enforcement agencies, the National Testing Agency, with the approval of the Government of India, has decided to cancel the NEET (UG) 2026 examination conducted on 3 May 2026, and to re-conduct the examination on dates that will be notified separately," the agency said.
The agency said the inputs received, taken together with findings shared by law enforcement agencies, established that the "present examination process could not be allowed to stand."
"The re-conducted examination dates, along with the re-issued admit-card schedule, will be communicated through the official channels of the Agency in the coming days," it added.
The development is set to cause immense agony to over 22 lakh candidates who took up the exam at 5432 centres in India and abroad, with unprecedented security measures in place.
Meanwhile, protests have erupted in the national capital against the question paper leak and the cancellation of the exam, with opposition parties demanding an overhaul of the NTA.
A massive protest organised by the National Students' Union of India (NSUI), the student wing of Congress, broke out outside the Shastri Bhawan in New Delhi, where people were seen holding placards that read "PM compromised, paper compromised," "paper leak, Modi sarkar weak," and "doctor's degree is for sale."
In a post on X, Rashtriya Janata Dal Rajya Sabha member Manoj Jha slammed the NTA and said, "Do anything but first dismantle NTA, NEET."
"I had said in Parliament, throw it in Bay of Bengal. Have you ever thought about the impact on students coming from ordinary backgrounds? The CBI probe is an eyewash. This is extremely insensitive," he told reporters.
"Democracy is not just fighting and winning elections. How sensitive are you towards the people," Jha asked.
CPI(M) Rajya Sabha member John Brittas said repeated failures in national examinations were eroding public trust in the system.
"NEET cancellation is yet another blow to lakhs of students who put in years of hard work. Repeated failures in national exams are destroying trust in the system. Government must fix this broken process as our youth deserve better," he said in a post on X.
RJD spokesperson Priyanka Bharti linked the latest controversy to earlier allegations of paper leaks connected to Bihar.
"When the NEET paper leak happened in 2024, a connection to Bihar had emerged back then too. Once again, in the NEET paper leak case, three people from Bihar have been arrested. One MBBS doctor was also involved in this," she said.
"How does Bihar's name keep coming up every time," Bharti asked.
(With inputs from PTI)
